NAD recommends Cobalis, Lifes2Good modify supplement ads

NEW YORK The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus last week issued two decisions regarding dietary supplement advertising.

The agency determined that Cobalis Corp. can support certain claims for that company’s PreHistin dietary supplement product, but recommended the company modify or discontinue claims that PreHistin is a “pre-histamine” which means it regulates the release of histamine. And “PreHistin is the World’s First Pre Histamine.”

Cobalis agreed to abide by NAD’s decision.

In a separate decision, NAD determined that Lifes2Good Natural Healthcare also could support certain advertising claims for its Viviscal dietary supplement product, but needed to modify its advertising to assure it is gender-neutral.

NAD also recommended that the advertiser discontinue its claims that “Viviscal is doctor recommended” and that Lifes2Good discontinue its “before and after” photo comparison.

Lifes2Good, in its advertiser’s statement, noted that it “disagrees with NAD’s opinion that the studies which have been conducted on Viviscal are specific to men and cannot be extrapolated to women. However, the company said, “[I]n the spirit of cooperation … Lifes2Good will revise itsadvertisement to make certain it is ‘gender neutral’ … .”

CDC reports historic lows in flu activity

ATLANTA The flu news coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week is that there is no flu news to speak of, at least relative to flu seasons past.

For the week ended Jan. 23, influenza activity remained at approximately the same levels as last week, the CDC reported, which is below historical levels for January.

The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness was 1.7%, falling below the national baseline of 2.3%. Only 2-out-of-10 regions (the Southeast and Southwest) reported ILI equal to their region-specific baseline. No states reported widespread influenza activity, five states reported regional influenza activity and nine states reported local influenza activity. Three states reported no influenza activity.

CHPA to fight reverse-switch of PSE products in Mississippi with legislative line

JACKSON, Miss. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Saturday announced a legislative line for consumers to call in an effort to fight a move to reverse-switch cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine from behind-the-counter to prescription-only.

“CHPA has provided a phone number for Mississippians to contact their legislators which within the first day fielded scores of calls from around the state,” stated CHPA spokeswoman Elizabeth Funderburk. “We have heard their outrage on talk radio, and online posting to news web pages. And recent polling shows almost two-thirds of Mississippi voters oppose the legislation,” she said. “Everyone wants to fight meth, but Mississippians believe an electronic tracking procedure is better than the added cost and burden of a prescription mandate.”

The toll-free number is 1-866-346-8118, or consumers can visit www.StopMethNotMeds.org.

According to the poll, 74% of Mississippi consumers agree that an Rx-only requirement would create an “unnecessary burden” for law-abiding citizens, and approximately 61% oppose the law.

Last week, the Mississippi House passed H.B. 512, legislation that would impose an Rx-only mandate on commonly available cold and allergy medications containing PSE. Identical legislation is currently being shepherded through the Senate (S.B. 2339).

“Because Mississippi does not tax prescription drugs, this legislation would also divert $590,000 from the general fund annually, as well as increase the costs to Mississippi’s Medicaid program through increased doctor’s visits and prescriptions as a result,” Funderburk added. “This would be an expensive new mandate from the state on the budgets of Mississippi families and Mississippi taxpayers. There is a better way to fight meth, and that’s through establishing an electronic tracking program to stop the illegal sale to criminals.”

The survey, conducted from Jan. 14 to Jan. 23, involved 350 Mississippi state residents ages 18 years and over, all of whom voted in the last election. The survey was sponsored by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

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